February 3, 2009

February 3, 2009, Greencastle, Ind. — "Google Ocean is revolutionary for our research, an amazing educational tool and it's just plain cool, says Wallace J. Nichols, a research associate at California Academy of Sciences and 1989 graduate of DePauw University. It's the next best thing to being in the ocean itself," he adds.

Dr. Nichols is among several individuals -- including Al Gore -- who are quoted in an article on the "new feature that enables users of Google Earth to dive beneath the water surface, explore 3D underwater terrain and browse ocean-related content contributed by leaders in ocean science and advocacy. According to Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Ocean in Google Earth combines underwater terrain and expert content to provide users with an opportunity to explore some of the most difficult-to-reach parts of the world. In developing Google Ocean, the company used sonar data from the U.S. Navy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association and others to create a visual representation of the topographic landscape hidden beneath the sea."